About

The Irish Red Cross Society (IRCS) is a volunteer-led, membership-based organization. Our members generously offer their time on a voluntary basis, working through a network of branches that are led and managed by volunteers. By the end of 2024, we had 73 branches across 23 regions throughout Ireland. Through the work of our volunteers in Ireland, the Irish Red Cross is involved on a daily basis in many aspects of local and regional community life. Through our national network, the Irish Red Cross seeks to be “Always There” for those in need. There are key volunteer roles in place at each level, facilitating the work at Branch, Area, and Regional levels. The branch operations are supported by a staffed secretariat (The Irish Red Cross Head Office) which, in addition to providing supports for members and branches, implements national and international programs directly led by staff. All staff report through a management structure to the Secretary General, who in turn is accountable to the Board of Directors. The General Assembly, primarily elected by local members (volunteers), is the highest authority and elects the Board. The Irish Red Cross is also proud member of the world’s largest humanitarian network – the International Red Cross & Red Crescent Movement.

‍

EU Project Experience

Some experience.

The Irish Red Cross has been a partner in several EU-funded projects.

Some examples include our EU4Health project which focuses on providing psychological support to Ukrainian refugees in Ireland. This project is led by the IFRC and implemented by 26 national Red Cross societies across Europe.

We also were a partner of the IFRC in the Safe Homes Project, where the Irish Red Cross led research efforts on pledged accommodation. Through the Pledged Accommodation Programme some 18,991 hosts across Ireland have accommodated displaced individuals from Ukraine since the Russian invasion in February 2022. The findings of this research have been used to inform best practices for the IFRC and was presented in the Oireachtas in February 2025.

‍

‍EU Funding Goals

In the next two years, we aim to expand our network of like-minded organizations in Ireland and Europe. We will focus on learning from others, gaining hands-on experience as partners in EU projects, and contributing to projects, with the goal of leading a consortium. In five years, we plan to engage in larger projects through framework agreements like Erasmus+, applying for and coordinating complex initiatives.

By year ten, we aim to coordinate multiple EU projects, share our experiences with civil society organizations in Ireland, and contribute to building a stronger network for collaboration across Europe.

‍

Strengths

The Irish Red Cross brings a wealth of experience and a strong network to EU-funded projects. We have over 3,000 volunteers across 73 branches in Ireland, providing services in first aid, community healthcare, mental wellbeing, refugee support, preparedness and emergency response.

Our expertise extends to mental health support, youth leadership, migration and integration assistance, and humanitarian law.

Many of our activities are based on best practices and proven methods from the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and the International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC).

The Irish Red Cross also has access to a major network of National Red Cross Societies within Europe and support from the Red Cross EU Office which allows us to learn from best practices and deliver evidence-based impactful projects both locally and internationally.